Madeira News Blog

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Eiryl … the Proteus flower

Front Page News : source : Diário de Notícias 25/9/2008

A €25,000 Audi A3 car was destroyed by fire in sítio do Covão, Estreito de Câmara de Lobos yesterday. Just a shell remains, and arson is suspected. The car was owned by a local priest who had owned the car for just two months, who claims to have had an SMS text message threatening his car. Strange case … a priest with a €25 grand car, a suspected arsonist who has the priest’s mobile phone number … I think we are missing the full story here.

The new (or rebuilt) Marítimo football stadium is to have an auditorium, a vintage car museum, and a trophy room. It will accommodate 9,000 supporters, which will not be of much use when the biggest game for years (against Valencia last week) only attracted 3,000 supporters. The inspiration for the new stadium design has come from England, no not Chelsea or Manchester United, but a lesser known club called Derby County, currently floundering near the bottom of the second league! I am guessing that the trophy room will built inside the cupboard previously occupied by the electricity meter, or is that being too unkind?

Today the government exerts it’s influence once more on the prices of petrol and diesel. Hardly worth having this time as petrol will go down just 0.3 cêntimos, and diesel 1.3 cêntimos. That brings the maximum petrol price down to €1.372, just slightly less than in Portugal. That reminds me, I have a leaflet from BPI bank saying that if you use their credit card ‘Universo’ to buy petrol or whatever at a Galp petrol station you will get a 2.5% discount on the cost (it is in reality a rebate that you will receive later on).

The people of Funchal are big water users, with an average consumption of 233 cubic metres each per year. That figure compares badly with Lisbon for example where the consumption averages 123 cubic metres per person per year, and in a list of 106 similar sized European cities puts Funchal in 7th position. The city of Braga in Portugal has the lowest consumption in the study, and the article states that a years supply for a person in Funchal would last there 4 years and several months. I reckon my household consumes at most 20% per year of what you people in Funchal use each, either that or my water meter is faulty. I reckon the 233 figure must be wrong, otherwise what on earth are you doing with all this water?

Other News :

Good news for residents using the ferry boat to Portimão. The Secretary of State for Transport in Lisbon has accepted the proposal to apply the same subsidy (for residents and students) of €30 each way, that currently applies to flights between Madeira and Portugal. Don’t hold your breath waiting though, as the proposal has to come back to the regional assembly here, go to Brussels, and then back and forth between Lisbon and Madeira before becoming effective.

The Regional Directorate for Statistics for Madeira (DRE) has launched a new website at : http://estatistica.gov-madeira.pt

I have just gone for a quick look, and it’s quite good if you know some Portuguese. It cover unemployment, population, inflation, hotel occupancy, construction licences, and numerous other topics.

WORLD TOURISM DAY – tomorrow

These events are mostly free for tourists, so if you live here you may need to dress like a tourist to benefit:

Botanical gardens – Free entry, also Boa Vista, & Orchid

Madeira story centre – 50% discount on tickets

Most museums – Free entry (email me if you want to check which ones, or look at the Madeira tourism website).

10.00 – 12.30am Folk dancing group on Avenida Arriaga, Funchal

2pm – 5pm Street entertainment on Avenida Arriaga

9.00am – 8.30pm Folk dancing group at Madeira Airport (with a break for lunch)

6pm Quartet concert at the Palace São Lourenço

There are other activities, but they are by booking only.

Please let me know if you know of anything else – thanks.

Tobi tells me that the tall ships will be here (Funchal) next Tuesday and Wednesday, and they will be open to visitors to board. This is part of the Funchal 500 celebrations. Thanks Tobi … this is what this blog is partly for, if you know anything that might interest or benefit readers please let us know. Whether is be a bargain at the supermarket, an event, an appeal, or whatever.

The situation with Machico beach (inauguration and opening) continues to confuse me, but according to yesterday’s newspaper the inauguration is set for President Jardim at midday on 29th (Monday).

One of our blog readers has kindly agreed to raise the problem about the rip-off for foreigners in the fruit market in Funchal. It could take some time, but by way of ‘evidence’ please keep any stories coming in.

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